Steel and Sorcery
by coffee dazed
Summary: our heroes and heroines fall into the hands of bandits. will merlin need to reveal his magic to save them and how will the boys react to the dark fate that awaits the girls...
1. Chapter 1

** STEEL AND SORCERY**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing whatsoever to do with 'Merlin'. I make no profit whatsoever from this, I'm just borrowing them to pass the time

**Note: **utmost apologies for the 'Mills and Boon' sounding title- I will need to get to grips with better titles but this will need to suffice for now

* * *

It had started off as just another of Arthur's occasional sojourns to various parts of his father's kingdom to check on the state of the land and its people. The Crown Prince of Camelot would travel disguised as an ordinary citizen and usually he would take only Merlin with him, the two friends travelling under the pretext of young men on their way to make their fortune in the castle city.

Lady Morgana had long been a tad envious of Arthur's trips as propriety demanded that she should travel with an armed escort for most, if not all, of the time. On the run-up to this latest outing, Morgana had been badgering her guardian's son whom she looked upon as a close brother – a close brother who had stubbornly refused any suggestion that she would accompany him on the basis that the risk to personal safety was too great. The dispute was finally settled by the challenge of a sword-fight resulting with the King's ward defeating the Prince and reminding him of how she had also bested him when they were children – something that Arthur always vehemently denied.

As a result, Morgana and Gwen had changed their clothing for attire more fitting for the journey ahead and packed what supplies they might require for the days ahead.

* * *

Things had started off uneventfully, the quartet making steady progress to the outlying settlements at the northern borderlands and meeting subjects of Camelot. The young Prince had been able to use his natural charm to quickly put those he met at ease and none suspected that he or his companions might be anyone other than the hopeful job-hunters that they pretended to be.

The innkeeper of that night's accommodation had noted that the small group, whilst not necessarily nobility, were nonetheless not dressed like the most humble of subjects in threadbare clothing. He concluded that they were probably the younger children of some mildly successful farmers or craftsmen who were obliged to find their fortunes elsewhere since any type of inheritance would pass to the firstborn of their families. Whatever the reason, the innkeeper was glad for any business that came his way.

The small group's presence had also not gone unnoticed by local outlaws who had watched their progress with care and who were now planning their attack for the following morning.

* * *

Although they were not unarmed, the four were obliged to conceal any larger weapons amongst their packs- only having knives readily to hand and so when the band of outlaws began their stealthy assault, they managed to quickly overpower the (disguised) royal party. Luckily, Arthur and Morgana had had the presence of mind to not take anything that was of too much monetary worth and so it was now that the young travellers found themselves still prisoners whilst their captors decided what to do with them despite having taken anything they found to be of value.

Tied back to back, Morgana to Merlin and Arthur to Gwen, they were sat on the ground off to one side of the outlaws' rudimentary camp trying find a way out of their predicament.

"What's the plan?" whispered Morgana across to the other pair of prisoners just a couple of paces away. She had been considering various means of escape but had discarded each idea as quickly as they came. The long-haired brunette knew well that as soon as it was decided that the outlaws had no further use for them, their fate would be sealed in a most fatal way.

Arthur's blue eyes blazed furiously as he briefly looked over at the bandits. He had been struggling with the bonds that tethered his wrists to Gwen's but with no luck, the person who bound them knew his knots and the rope had not loosened in the slightest, leaving him and the maid with little else but chafed, raw wrists and hands.

"I don't know yet, I need to think" Arthur hissed in reply. He was becoming increasingly frustrated and angry. He was the heir to Camelot, used to being in control with people jumping to attention at his slightest command. He most definitely was _not_ used to being trussed up like the boar he regularly hunted. The blond man closed his eyes as he paused to gather his thoughts. Momentarily, he let his brain register the warmth of the body tied to him but he quickly pushed the thought away, he couldn't let himself be distracted.

Behind him, Gwen felt the steady rise and fall of his back as he took in a few calming deep breaths. She didn't know how they were going to escape but she had the utmost faith in Arthur's abilities and when the time came, she would be ready to fight.

Merlin had also remained silent as he pondered the situation. He had the power to secure their freedom anytime he wanted but the consequences that would result from him revealing his magic would be great and far-reaching for him and for others, many of whom he had grown to care deeply about. Nevertheless, the sorcerer was prepared to do so if left with no other option but until such time arrived, Merlin had to trust that his regal friend and master would have a plan before he would have to take that course of action.

After a few minutes, Arthur's eyes snapped open. He was at a loss and it galled him to think that he had been defeated by such unworthy foe. Had it been some great, monstrous creature he was fighting to the death with he could understand – but this? It was unbearable!

* * *

The prisoners' attention was caught by the sound of the bandit leader's approaching footsteps. He was known only as Colmer and he was tall and lean, his rough nondescript clothing revealing arms that were corded with sinewy muscle and silvery scars marked the exposed parts of his body. Most noticeable of all was the long and ragged one that ran the full length of the left side of his tanned and grime-covered face.

He stood over his prisoners while two of his men loomed behind him, hands ready on the hilts of their swords. "Well now, what to do with you all? That is a question I have been pondering for some time." His voice was surprisingly deep and held a quiet menace. Green eyes glinted with amusement at the fierce and defiant glares that came from the quartet.

He crouched down besides the Prince. "The two of you," he nodded over to Merlin as well, "I have no need for." Colmer turned his attention to Gwen, whose chin he cupped firmly in a rough, dirty hand and Morgana who he acknowledged with a direct look. He fixed a stare at Gwen's deep brown orbs. "But you ladies are another matter." He chuckled and the sound sent a shiver of fear through both women which the men they were bound to felt quite clearly. "It has been a long time since we have had any women in my humble company and my men do so enjoy the pleasures of the fairer sex."

The two henchmen with their leader laughed crudely at this last comment and they leered openly at the women.

* * *

Merlin felt anger rise within him at the thinly veiled suggestion as to the fate of Morgana and Gwen. He felt the magic course through his veins and for the first time had to work hard to rein in his desire to smite the outlaws with a giant fireball.

Arthur's heart was thudding against his ribcage as fury surged through him. The very idea of harm coming to Morgana did not bear thinking about but to think of Gwen being touched, let alone harmed, by these bandits sent a red mist to begin forming over his brain.

Colmer eyed the young men scornfully then spoke. "Ladies, I suggest you rest well this night. I fear tomorrow will be a busy day of socialising for you." He bowed towards them with a mocking flourish before walking away and leaving his prisoners to ponder their fate.

Morgana's cool grey eyes met Gwen's brown ones and they shared a look of horror at the thought of what was to happen to them.

* * *

**Note: **_so tell me what u think. reviews are love :D x_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **As ever, I don't own anything – nothing, nada, zip

* * *

Tears of pain pricked Gwen's eyes as she felt a trickle of blood run down her wrists to her hands. Arthur had been struggling desperately with the length of rope that bound their wrists together for what seemed like hours but to no avail. Rather than loosening the bonds, he had achieved the opposite result with the coarse fibre tightening further so that it bit deeply, tearing into soft skin. Gwen had bravely borne the pain, knowing that time was fast running out for the four companions but finally, she could stand it no longer.

"Arthur, stop," she whispered through gritted teeth.

He continued to worry at the rope, trying to find a way to free himself and the woman who captured his heart with heartfelt words of truth and a simple token of good luck. Arthur could not, would not allow the bandits to take her nor her mistress. _Over my dead body_, he thought. At this rate, it most certainly would be over his dead body! So intent was he on his task that he did not hear Gwen.

"Arthur, please." Pain seared through her torn flesh and the moisture that had gathered at her eyes now ran freely down her cheeks. "_Arthur!_"

The Prince caught the pleading in Gwen's voice and it halted his actions. He was breathing a little harder from his exertions and he turned his head, straining to move round enough to be able to see her. It took a moment before he realised that the soft gasps he heard were actually muffled sobs.

"Guinevere? What's wrong?" he couldn't quite hide the urgency in the question and it was beyond frustrating being unable to see her properly.

"You have to stop pulling at the ropes," she whispered.

"We must escape. Didn't you hear what he said he would do to us, to _you_?" he began to resume his efforts but was again stopped.

"Arthur, you're…it's hurting me." Her voice was small. Gwen hated herself for being weak, for succumbing to the sense of despair that had been seeping into her.

For the first time, he sensed the wetness that now coated their lower arms, felt the stinging that each little movement against the rope brought. The prince sighed softly and let his back relax slightly against hers. "We can't give up." He paused for a few seconds. "I can't lose you."

* * *

A short distance across from them, Merlin studied the stars in the clear night sky and by his reckoning, it was only a few short hours until dawn…and doom. He had witnessed Arthur's struggles and seen the futility of his efforts. There had to be another way, another non-magical way but when he heard Arthur give up his fight, he knew his options were extremely limited.

He and Morgana had already made their own attempts to free themselves, also with no success.

"Merlin, can your fingers reach this bit here?" In contrast to Arthur's tactic of using brute strength, this pair were trying a more considered method. Using the limited movement of their fingers, they strained to follow the route of their ties and then try to pick the perceived knots apart. After a great deal of time where they thought they might well dislocate their joints, they too had to admit defeat.

Morgana had been silent and still for some time and Merlin waited a while longer before deciding she had fallen asleep. He didn't want to speak her name aloud in case he roused her. Once as certain of her comatose state as he could be, the sorcerer decided that he could not wait any longer. Soon, he and Arthur were to die at the hands of bandits and their friends would be their playthings, to be used and abused in the vilest ways until their captors tired of them and disposed of them ruthlessly.

The choice was made and he would deal with the consequences when they occurred. He took a deep breath and concentrated. Blue eyes glowed gold as he murmured arcane words and he felt the rope that bound him to King Uther's ward slide itself smoothly out of its many loops to finally lie limp on the ground. Merlin released the breath he didn't know he had been holding. He gingerly brought his arms round to his front and gently rubbed the circulation back into his newly freed arms.

* * *

Morgana had fallen into a light doze. Her arms and shoulders ached from trying to move into impossible positions as she and Merlin tried to untie themselves. Months of sleepless, nightmare-filled nights had left her constantly weary despite her convincing appearance of energy and vigour. That night, however, she was woken by a terrifying yet familiar sensation, one she had experienced several times before but had not identified until her brief time spent with the Druids. What she felt was _magic_. The burst of energy and the heat that spread like liquid through her veins followed by a feeling of elation. She understood that feeling, enjoyed the experience of power but she knew immediately that she was not the cause, that it had not emanated from her like in her nightly dreams and memories. No, this time, she sensed the disconnection, the block which told her that it came from someone else.

The magic came from Merlin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: **thanks to all the reviewers and a very happy new year to everyone, best wishes for 2010! x

* * *

Merlin hesitated for a moment before reaching out to gently shake Morgana's shoulder. "Morgana," he whispered. "Wake up."

He was a little surprised at how bright-eyed she looked as she opened her eyelids. There was no bleary-ness in her light grey eyes although her tone was questioning as she looked down to see that there was no longer any rope binding her body.

"Merlin, how did you get free?" she queried quietly, her expression unreadable.

"Uh, I, uh, managed to pry loose one of the knots."

"But we tried that and nearly broke our arms." She regarded him with a suspicious look and she opened her mouth to continue.

The dark-haired man cut her off. "We haven't got time to waste talking. Quickly, we must free the others." Morgana had no choice but to follow as Merlin crouched low as he made his way over to where Arthur and Gwen had slumped in a fitful rest. Uther's ward was dying to ask many questions of Arthur's servant but that would have to wait as they had more pressing matters to attend to.

* * *

Arthur woke with a start and his immediate reaction was to try and throw off the hand that was touching his arm, thinking that it was the bandits come to make good their promise of the previous evening.

"Shhh," Merlin hushed the Prince who had to blink twice at the sight of his manservant who was busy untying the blood-stained ropes.

"_Merlin???_" he stared in disbelief. "What the…"

"No time for that now." Merlin brushed aside Arthur's unfinished enquiry. He glanced over to see Morgana helping her maid to her feet and wincing in sympathy when she saw the wounds on the darker girl's wrists. A quick scan of the camp showed him where their horses were tethered and where their weapons lay in a small pile not far from where the four were now stood.

This presented the young sorcerer with a new dilemma. They would certainly require their weapons and mounts if they were to have a chance of escape but they would need to get past the watch. To be fair, the outlaws had been fairly lax in the number of guards they set up but this was due to their over-confidence that their prisoners were completely in their power. Only one guard was posted at the edge of camp whilst one other was sent a little way out into the woods in order to provide an early warning system. However, there were also men asleep close by the stolen arms and men such as they were prone to be light sleepers.

Should the whole camp be woken before he and his companions reclaimed their belongings and arms, there was a good chance they would be slain on the spot.

Now fully alert, Arthur reassumed his role as leader of the small group and took stock of the surroundings. The only real source of light came from the fire in the centre of the camp and it was burning low as morning approached. He directed Gwen to try and circle around to free the horses and he had attempted to send Morgana on the same task but she firmly put down that suggestion. Morgana pointed out that they would really need two people to gather their weapons properly and that Arthur should not forget that she was just as good with a sword, if not better and that Merlin would be a more appropriate choice for helping Gwen. Arthur's last order to the other three was that should anything happen to defeat their plan, then they were to run as fast as they could and not stop.

* * *

The two servants skirted the side of the camp, staying in the shadows as well as keeping a wary ear out for the patrolling guard. As they reached the horses and started un-tethering them, the animals began to snicker and whinny in recognition of their owners.

To the far side, Arthur and Morgana stepped lightly towards their discarded swords but just as they heard the animals' sounds, so too did their captors who stirred and wakened at the sound. "Oi, you!"

The time for stealth had ended. The two young nobles sprinted the last remaining yards to their weapons and each claimed their swords, hefting the blades, getting used to their weight and movement as they turned to face the oncoming attackers. By this time, the majority of the camp had been alerted and were making their way to the escapees who were looking around for the best way out. Their eyes met and when Morgana's flickered to the left, Arthur nodded quickly in agreement before raising his sword to meet that of the first bandit to reach them.

Steel crashed against steel before the blond Prince lifted his knee and kicked out at the attacker's stomach to send him staggering backwards. A sharp lunge and Arthur slayed him then continued to move towards the chosen escape route as more bandits rushed at him.

Morgana danced lightly out of the reach of the sword that swung at her. As the enemy's motion continued to roll forward with the momentum, she stepped back into the space and with a sweep of her blade, slashed her opponent across his belly. He fell to his knees even as his entrails spilled out of the gaping hole in his torso.

Arthur and Morgana cut and hacked their way through but they were still greatly outnumbered and fit as they were, they were beginning to tire.

With all the commotion going on, nobody noticed the horses being quietly led away from the camp.

* * *

Gwen gestured to Merlin, indicating with a few points and waves where she was going with the first two horses.

"Right," nodded Merlin, "I'll meet you there with the other two.

When the woman was out of sight, he studied the progress of his other two friends. They were nearing their goal of the gap which headed into the dark depths of the forest and safety. However, as good as their swordsmanship was, yet another wave of opponents was advancing upon them and Merlin could see that their earlier exertions were taking their toll. Arthur was becoming heavier in his movement, his reactions slowing with each parry and blow and Morgana's swings were also more laboured.

The sorcerer quickly took in the numbers. Four to one in favour of the outlaws with more coming to join them. The situation was fast becoming bleak for the two nobles.

Merlin focused his gaze on the fire and let soft words of power fall from his lips as he flicked his fingers in the direction of the low flames. A sharp gust of wind blew and the fire went out with a splutter and burp of smoke, plunging the scene into darkness and roars of confusion sounded from the enemy. The sudden change caused sufficient chaos for Merlin to call out.

"Morgana, Arthur, this way, follow my voice."

Eyes adjusting to the lack of light, Morgana and Arthur used the starlit sky to pick their way to where Merlin stood before leading them to where Gwen was waiting. As they put more distance between them and their captors, they heard the sounds of pursuit become fainter.

* * *

Gwen nerves were strung tightly as she listened and watched for signs of her friends. She had worried as she heard the clashes of swords and shouts of anger but her relief was palpable when her companions appeared from the undergrowth. A few quick hugs and smiles then they swiftly mounted up and rode as fast as possible.

They were still riding as the dawn broke and the sun rose to welcome the day. It was only when they decided that an insurmountable distance had been put between themselves and the outlaws did the companions stop to rest and build a small fire to take comfort from the warmth.

With the horses unsaddled, watered and now happily munching on grass, Arthur and Gwen had cleared a space by the shelter of a fallen oak and were now sleeping not quite curled up together but very close side by side.

* * *

Merlin and Morgana remained by the fire, a heavy silence between them.

Uther's ward appeared to be staring into the orange glow but every so often when Merlin looked up, he would catch her staring at him before averting her gaze.

It was a few moments before she broke the silence.

"That was lucky you were able to work free that rope, wasn't it?"

Merlin could feel her eyes scrutinising him. He tried a light smile. "Yes, it was rather fortunate."

"Then it was fortunate when that fire blew out and it had been quite a still night." Her gaze seemed to penetrate his soul.

"Hmm, yes, the weather can do peculiar things this time of year." He poked the fire vigourously with a stick. He couldn't meet her look.

Morgana sighed a little. She needed to be blunt with him, she wanted to finally be able to find someone she could freely discuss magic with and all the better if it was Merlin. After all, he had helped her to seek out the Druids and then helped her escape Uther's lethal forces.

"Merlin, I know it was you." Her words hung in the air.

His head jerked up. "I don't know what you mean." Merlin's heart thudded and his pulse raced. It hadn't felt so bad when he made the decision to use his magic. He had sort of told himself that they would be so relieved to escape that they wouldn't really question the way they did it too closely.

"The magic. It was yours." Her tone was gentle but matter-of-fact. "Merlin, I felt it, the energy, the power."

It was no use lying anymore. "Are you going to tell Arthur?" he asked unsurely.

Morgana tilted her head, "that depends." Merlin looked questioningly at her. "Are you going to tell Arthur about me?"

The smile they shared then was filled with meaning and understanding. It had never occurred to him after all this time that he wielded any power over the budding sorceress, it never crossed his mind to ever tell anyone her secret.

They were kindred spirits.

* * *

Since returning to Camelot, neither Merlin nor Morgana mentioned their powers either to each other or anyone else but they felt more at ease knowing that there was somebody who truly understood the wonders that they possessed and the potential danger they faced because of it.

If Merlin and Arthur were considered to be two sides of the same coin then Merlin and Morgana were cast of the same mould. The only difference was who or what would influence and guide them. Arthur's servant hoped that he would be able to help her as Gaius helped him to understand and control his power. He hoped that in the future, things might change and they would be able to work together to bring good to the land through the gifts of the Old Religion.

* * *

Some months later, a farmer arrived at the castle to announce that the Fires of Idirsholas burned once more and the Knights of Medhir had to be defeated again.

Fate cruelly twisted the fortunes of the two mages, forcing Merlin to play a deadly hand against Morgana in order to foil the plans of Morgause. It was a betrayal that was unforgivable and would forever colour her actions towards him, Arthur and Camelot.

**

* * *

Note: **_so that brings the end of this fic. I didn't think it would end this way but it seemed right as I wrote it. I kept the interaction between Merlin and Morgana quite low key as that's how they seem to do it in the show and it is their interpretation of the legend that I'm using._


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